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Killers Behind Bars returns to our TV screens

UNIVERSITY NEWSLAST UPDATED : 29 OCTOBER 2013

Professor David Wilson of Birmingham City University, one of Britain's leading criminologists, returns to Channel 5 next week to front the ground-breaking new series of Killers Behind Bars.

In the past five years alone the UK has witnessed three serial killers sentenced to over 100 years behind bars, for some of the most terrifying crimes this country has ever seen. The Killers Behind Bars series follows real-life ‘Cracker’, Professor David Wilson, as he uses the latest in cutting-edge criminology techniques to link more unsolved murders to these convicted monsters.

With access to the investigating police officers, interview tapes and crime scenes in each case, Professor Wilson examines their known crimes in detail, before building up a detailed profile and Modus Operandi (MO) of each killer.

Taking his cutting-edge theories out of the university and into the world of real crime, Professor Wilson applies the latest techniques to compare them to other unsolved crimes that he believes should also be attributed to these notorious murderers.

Meeting some of the country’s leading crime experts along the way he uses the science of criminology to take an intimate look inside the minds of these monsters. With this evidence, he hopes to prove beyond reasonable doubt that their known crimes are simply the tip of the iceberg. The results are often shockingly clear.

In the first episode Professor Wilson investigates notorious serial killer Levi Bellfield, infamous for the murder of 13-year-old Milly Dowler and convicted of brutally murdering three other women. In what proves to be one of the most complicated cases ever studied, Professor Wilson believes that there are reasons why Bellfield should be investigated in connection with two other murders, including a case for which another man is already serving a life sentence.

Professor Wilson is the UK’s leading expert on serial killers and author of over 15 books including ‘A History of British Serial Killing’. As Programme Director and professor in Criminology, David helps to continue the long-established history the university has for providing innovative and cutting-edge courses in policing and criminal justice.

‘Killers Behind Bars series 2’ starts on Thursday 14 March at 9pm on Channel 5. At the end of episode one on Thursday, viewers will be invited to send their questions in to Professor Wilson, who will be doing a live Q&A via Channel 5, using the hashtag #KillersBehindBars